Tab straightening device



Sept. 27, 1960 E. 1.. HAYDEN ETAL 2,954,067

TAB STRAIGHTENING DEVICE Filed Oct. 25, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1fenzezkfljvemcer; ATTORNEY ZdzrwdL/Yqydem P 1960 E. L. HAYDEN ETAL2,954,067

TAB STRAIGHTENING DEVICE Filed Oct. 23, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORSldmarl.fi%yder&

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BY My ATTORNEY TAB STRAIGHTENING DEVICE Edward L. Hayden, Emporium, andKenneth M. Spencer,

Galeton, Pa., assignors, by mesne assignments, to Sylvania ElectricProducts Inc., Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware Filed Oct.23, 1958, Ser. No. 769,237 13 Claims. (Cl. 153-32) This inventionrelates in general to straightening devices and more particularly toapparatus and methods for straightening the tabs on electron tubecathodes.

In electron tube manufacture a tubular cathode sleeve normally isprovided with a ribbon tab at, at least, one of its ends to provideelectrical connection between the cathode and a stern lead extendingthrough the base of the tube. This tab may be integral with the cathodesleeve or may be a separate ribbon welded to the sleeve. In either casethe cathode sleeve and tab are customarily processed as one unit throughdegreasing, acid etching and coating steps. In the course of handlingthe tabbed cathodes through the various steps, the tabs often becomebent.

In a previous method for straightening these tabs, an operator wouldpick up each cathode individually, and while holding the cathode withone hand, would grasp the tab, near its juncture with the cathodesleeve, between the jaws of tweezers held in the other hand, and

pull the tab lengthwise through the tweezers, 'thus.

straightening the tab. This procedure was tedious and, because of themethod used, often required repeated operations since the tab would havea tendency to curl if the tweezers were applied so that the jaws werenot held at the proper angle to the cathode sleeve.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide apparatus andmethods for rapidly and accurately straightening tabs on tubular bodies.

It is a further object of this invention to provide apparatus andmethods for automatically straightening tabs on tubular electrodes.

Specifically it is an object of this invention to provide travelingreceptacles for cathode sleeves with attached tabs to be straightenedand to straighten these tabs as the receptacles move past tabstraightening mechanism.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent uponconsideration of the following detailed description along with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of one embodiment of the invention with cathodesleeves in some of the receptacles.

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the embodiment of the inventiondepicted in Fig. l, with parts broken away to expose otherwise hiddenportions.

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the embodiment of the inventionshown in Fig. 1 with ramps removed for clarity;

Fig. 4 is a partial view, in perspective, showing another embodiment ofthe invention;

Fig. 5 is a partial view, in perspective, showing still anotherembodiment of the invention.

Referring now more particularly to Figures 1, 2 and 3, the embodiment ofthe invention shown comprises a base it having at the left hand'end,Fig. l, a pair of upright pulley supports 12 and 14 secured to the baseby screws 15 and mounting the shaft of a pulley 16. At the PatentedSept. 27, 1960 ICC conveyor 24 having fixed thereon a plurality ofequally spaced retaining fixtures 26 is entrained about the pulleys. Thepulley 16 is driven by a motor 28, via a belt 30 and a Geneva drive 31.Each of the retaining fixtures comprises a shallow rectangularreceptacle of a length, Width and height to just snugly accommodate theslightly lesser dimensioned cathode sleeves whose tabs are to bestraightened, the tabs extending, unrestrained, over the rear end wallof the receptacle.

An upright support member 32 is secured to base 10 and provides abearing for a shaft 34, said shaft mounting a double lobed disc cam 36with diametrically spaced pins 38 at right angles to the face of the camand a drive pulley 37. Said shaft, cam and pulley are driven by acountershaft 40, which is gear connected to motor 28 through a belt 42entrained about the pulley 37 and a pulley on the shaft 40.

The conveyor belt travels counterclock-wise with its upper run travelingto the left in Fig. 2. Near the right hand end of the conveyor andadjacent one edge thereof is a pair of vertically stacked guide blocks44 and 46 having converging faces in the direction of travel of the toprun of the conveyor.

The lower block of the pair, block 44, is suitably secured to the base10. The upper face is inclined as indicated at 47 to lead a downwardlybent/tab on a cathode held in the box 26 toward a horizontal posito atleast one of the holding fixtures 26 as it moves into position foroperation as will be described later.

F'astened to the rear of the base, Fig. 1, is a vertical support 52 towhich is fast a long forwardly extending circular tube 54, the tubehousing a compression spring 56 and the head 58 of a plunger 60, withthe spring reacting between the head of the plunger and the support. Theshaft 60 of the plunger extends through the forward end of the housingand through a support 62, also secured to base 10. At tl e forward endof plunger 60 there is provided a pair of cooperating wide arms 64 and66, the lower arm 64 being in any well known manner fixedly mounted inrelation to the plunger 60 and reciprocative with it, and the upper arm66 being hinged to the arm 64 by means of a pivotal pin 67. Astraightening roller 68 is rotatably mounted in a forked forward end oflower arm 64 and a similar roller 70 is rotatably mounted in a forkedforward end of upper arm 66. Additionally, a driver arm 72, seen mostclearly in Fig. 3, is secured to lower arm 64. A spring 74 reactingbetween arms 64 and 66 is adapted to hold arm 66 normally in the angularrelationship to arm 64 shown in Fig. 3.

In operation, cathodes 76 with attached tab 78 are placed in holdingfixtures 26 at the right side of apparatus, as shown in Figures 1 and 2.Conveyor 24 is set into operation to cause the holding fixtures 26 to beindexed via the Geneva drive 31 so as to bring the fixtures tostationary position before the straightening rollers. The top run of theconveyor moves to the left so that tabs 78 must travel between the faces47 and 49 of blocks 44 and 46. A bent tab contacts one or the other ofthe faces and, as the holding fixture approaches the straighteningrollers 68 and '70, the tab is partial-ly'straightened to assure that itwill lie between the rollers. 36 rotates continuously. The relationshipof the parts is such that during indexing of the fixtures, the rollersThe camtioned' between the straightening rollers, a lobe portion ofcarrr36 presses on upper arm 66, pushing down roller 70 to press tab 78against roller 68. The top of roller 68 is at an elevation to just touchthe underside of tab 78' when it is horizontal. As cam 36 continues toturn, the lobe portion rides on the upper arm andpin 38 pushes againstlever arm 72, forcing arms 64 and 66 with attached, straighteningrollers 68 and 70 as well as plunger 60 against the action of spring 56.

Asa result, straightening rollers 68 and 70 press against tab 78substantially throughout its length, straightening the tab. Hold-downcover 50, which lies close over a fixture, prevents cathodes from beingtilted or pulled out of the fixture during the straightening process.

When pin 38 slides off lever 72, which occurs when the: straighteningrollers 68 and 70 having cleared the end of the tab 78, conveyor 24again indexes, and spring 56 advances plunger 68 and arms 64 and 66 withseparated rollers into position into vertical alignment with the nextoncoming tab. Although the preferred timing is such that there is butone cycle of operation for the straightening rollers for each conveyorindexing movement, the gearing may be such as to enable several cyclesto take place.

In the modification shown in Fig. 4, the lower guide block 100 has ahorizontally disposed anvil portion 102 with its upper surface at thesame height as the desired lower surface of cathode tab 78, and parallelto the runs of the conveyor. In this modification, the lower roller isdispensed with and replaced by the surface 102. The upper straighteningroller 70 and the conveyor are operated' asin the previous species. Itwill be noted that with this form of invention, the tab is straightenedby rolling it out on the surface 102 of the guide block.

Referring now more particularly to Fig. 5 which discloses a thirdembodiment of the invention, there is shown a pair of straightening rods200 and 202 in place of arms 64 and 66 and rollers 68 and 70 as shown inFigs. 1, 2 and 3. Likewise, it should now be obvious in view of theabove, the roller 70 of Fig. 4 may be replaced by a rod such as the rod202 in Fig. 5. Thus the structure is simplified, although the form ofinvention employing a roller or rollers is preferred.

Although the invention has been described with particularity, it isunderstood that the present drawings and specification have been usedonly by way of examples and that numerous changes in the details ofconstruction.

and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to withoutdeparting from the spirit and the scope of the invention as hereinafterclaimed.

What is claimed is:

1. A tab straightening device comprising a conveyor, spaced fixtures onsaid conveyor and adapted to hold articles with tabs extending acrossthe direction of run of the conveyor, means for progressivelystraightening said tabs comprising a pair or": tab engaging means, oneon each side of a tab, mechanism mounting said tab engaging. means forrectilinear movement, and means for moving at least one of said engagingmeans so as to engage a tab close to the conveyor andto move said oneengaging means in a direction along the entire length of the tab tostraighten the tab.

2.. A tab straightening device comprising a conveyor, spaced hollowfixtures, open at their upper faces, on said conveyor and adapted tohold articles with tabs extending across the direction of run of theconveyor, a hold downiextendi-ng over the hollow fixtures to retainarticles therein, means for straightening said tabs comprising a pair oftab engaging means, one on each side of a tab, and means for moving atleast one of said engaging the tab.

3 A- tab strai htening device comprising a holding fix- 4 ture adaptedto contain the body portion of a tabbed workpiece, the tab of saidworkpiece extending beyond one end of said holding fixture, a fixedanvil adjacent said one end of said holding fixture, a cooperatingrectilinearly movable straightening member, means for bringing saidstraightening member into contact with said tab to press said tabagainst said anvil and means for effecting relative motion between saidholding fixture and said straightening member to progressively presssubstantially the entire length of the tabagainst the anvil, thusstraightening said tab.

4. A tab straightening device comprising a holding fixture adapted tocontain the body portion of a tabbed workpiece, the tab of said.workpiece extending beyond one end of said holding fixture, a fixedanvil adjacent said one end of said holding fixture, a cooperatingrectilinearly movable straightening roller, means for bringing saidstraightening roller into contact with said tab to press said tabagainst said anvil and means for effecting relative motion between saidholding fixture and said straightening roller to progressively presssubstantially the entire length of the tab against the anvil, thusstraightening. the tab.

5. A tab straightening device comprising a holding fixture adapted tocontain the body portion of a tabbed.

workpiece, the tab of said workpiece extending beyond one end of saidholding fixture, a pair of cooperating straightening members adjacentsaid one end of said holding fixture, at least one of said straighteningmembers. being mounted for movement on the other and movable downwardlysubstantially perpendicularly toward the tab, the other straighteningmember supporting the under portion of the tab, whereby the tab is held.closely between.

the straightening members, and means for effecting relative rectilinearmotion between said holding fixture and said straightening members toprogressively press substanw tially the entire length of the tab betweenthe straightening members.

6. A tab straightening device comprising a holding fixture adapted tocontain the. body portion of a tabbed workpiece, the tab of saidworkpiece extending beyond one end of said holding fixture, a pair ofcooperating straightening rollers adjacent said one end of said holdingfixture, at least one of said straightening rollers being, movabledownwardly substantially perpendicularly to-- ward the tab, the otherstraightening roller supporting the under portion of the tab, wherebythe tab is held closely between the straightening rollers, and means foreffecting.

relative rectilinear motion between said holding fixture and saidstraightening rollers to progressively press substantially the entirelength of the tab between the rollers 7. A tab straightening devicecomprising a base, a conveyor movably mounted on said base, saidconveyor carrying a plurality of equally spaced holding fixtures, saidholding fixtures being adapted to contain the body portions of tabbedworkpieces with the tabs extending beyond; one side of the conveyor,means for indexing said conveyor to bring each workpiece in successionto a work, station, a pair of blocks having converging faces. betweenwhich a tab must pass as it approaches the work station. to partiallystraighten badly bent tabs, an anvil secured to the base at said workstation, said anvil being so disposed as to support the under side ofthe tab, at straightening member above the anvil and adjacent said workstation, means operative between conveyor indexing movements for movingsaid straightening member downward into contact with said tab wherebythe tab is closely held between the straightening member and the anviland means for effecting relative motion between said holding fixture andsaid straightening member to progressively press substantially theentire length of the tab against the anvil.

8. A tab straightening device comprising a base, a conveyor movablymounted on said base, said' conveyor consisting: in part of a pluralityof equally spaced holding fix-tures, said holding fixtures being adaptedto contain the body portions of tabbed workpieces, the tabs extendingbeyond one side of the conveyor, means for indexing said conveyor tobring each workpiece in succession into a work station, a pair of blockshaving converging faces between which a tab must pass as it approachesthe work station, a pair of straightening members reciprocably mountedon said base, one of said straightening members being adapted to supportthe under side of the tab, means operated between conveyor indexingmovements for moving the other of said straightening members intocontact with the tab so that the tab is closely held between thestraightening members and means for moving said straightening memberslaterally away from said holding fixture to progressively presssubstantially the entire length of the tab between the straighteningmembers.

9. A tab straightening device comprising a base, a holding fixturemounted on said base, said holding fixture being adapted to contain thebody portion of a tabbed workpiece, the tab of said workpiece extendingbeyond one end of said holding fixture, a tab straightening meansincluding a pair of tab engaging means, one for each of two oppositefaces thereof on said base, said straightening means including astraightening member reciprocably mounted, a driver arm at right anglesto said straightening member, an arm having tab engaging means pivotedon said straightening member, a disc cam rotatably mounted on the baseadjacent the straightening member, a pin secured to said cam andextending from one face thereof, means for rotating said cam so that itsperiphery bears on the pivoted arm whereby the tab engaging means on thefree end of the arm is forced into contact with the tab to press the tabagainst the action of the tab engaging means and whereupon the pin onthe cam contacts the driver arm to move the straightener bar and pivotedarm, thereby pressing substantially the entire length of the tab betweenthe tab engaging means.

10. A tab straightening device comprising a base, a holding fixturemounted on said base, said holding fixture being adapted to contain thebody portion of a tabbed workpiece, the tab of said workpiece extendingbeyond one end of said holding fixture, a pair of cooperatingstraightening members reciprocably mounted on said base, one of saidstraightening members being pivoted to the other so that it is movablein a plane perpendicular to the plane of reciprocation, said pivotedstraightening member consisting of a straightener bar and a driver armat right angles thereto, a cam rotatably mounted on the base adjacentthe pivoted straightening member, a lobe portion on said cam, a pinsecured to said cam and extending from one face thereof, means forrotating said cam so that the lobe portion bears on the bar whereby thefree end of the bar is forced into contact with the tab to press the tabagainst the end of the other straightening member and whereby, uponcontinued rotation of the cam, the pin on the cam contacts the driverarm to move the tab engaging ends of said straightening memberslongitudinally of the tab and pressing substantially the entire lengthof the tab between said ends.

11. A tab straightening device comprising a base, an indexible conveyormounted on the base, equally spaced holding fixtures secured to theconveyor, each holding fixture being adapted to contain the body portionof a tabbed workpiece, the tab of said workpiece extending beyond oneend of said holding fixture, a tab straightening means including a pairof tab engaging means, one for each of two opposite faces thereof onsaid base, said straightening means including a straightening memberreciprocably mounted, a driver arm at right angles to said straighteningmember, an arm having tab engaging means pivoted on said straighteningmember, a disc cam rotatably mounted on the base adjacent thestraightening member, a pin secured to said cam and extending from oneface thereof, means for rotating said cam so that its periphery bears onthe pivoted arm whereby between conveyor indexing movements the tabengaging means on the free end of the arm is forced into contact withthe tab to press the tab against the other of the tab engaging means andwhereupon the pin on the cam contacts the driver arm to move thestraightener bar and pivoted arm, thereby pressing substantially theentire length of the tab between the tab engaging means.

12. A tab straightening device comprising a base, an indexible conveyormounter on the base, equally spaced holding fixtures secured to theconveyor, each holding fixture being adapted to contain the body portionof a tabbed workpiece, the tab of said workpiece extending beyond oneend of said holding fixture, a pair of cooperating straightening membersreciprocably mounted on said base, one of said straightening membersbeing pivoted to the other so that it is movable in a planeperpendicular to the plane of reciprocation, said pivoted straighteningmember consisting of a straightener bar and a driver arm at right anglesthereto, a cam rotatably mounted on the base adjacent the pivotedstraightening member, a lobe portion on said cam, a pin secured to saidcam and extending from one face thereof, means for rotating said cam sothat the lobe portion bears on the bar whereby between conveyor indexingmovements the free end of the bar is forced into contact with the tab topress the tab against the end of the other straightening member andwhereby, upon continued rotation of the cam, the pin on the cam contactsthe driver arm to move the tab engaging ends of'said straighteningmembers longitudinally of the tab and pressing substantially the entirelength of the tab between said ends. V

13. A tab straightener comprising an indexible conveyor, equally spacedfixtures mounted on said conveyor and each adapted to hold an articlewith an attached tab extending beyond a side of said conveyor, a tabstraightener movable in a rectilinear path to one side of said conveyoroperating in timed relationship to said conveyor indexing, and means toeffect engagement of said straightener with a tab, near the articleattached end thereof, and

to withdraw the straightener longitudinally of said tab along its entirelength while the conveyor is at rest.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,860,686 Frank et al. Nov. 18, 1958 2,867,262 Ainsworth et a1. Ian. 6,1959 2,878,841 Peterson et al Mar. 24, 1959

